Newspaper Article

HARMFUL PUTDOWNS THAT PERPETUATE BLACK DEPENDENCY

Stuart M Butler, director of domestic policy studies and the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation in Washington He is the co-author, with Anna Kondratas, of "Out of The Poverty Trap" (The Free Press, 1987)

1988

Overview

To borrow a phrase, there they go again: The National Urban League, in its annual review of the \"State of Black America,\" once again presents a dismal picture of black progress. Sweeping aside the steady decline in the black poverty rate, solid employment gains and dramatic successes by black self-help organizations, Urban League President John Jacob-taking the position that every silver lining must have a dark cloud-declared the condition of black America to be \"deceptively grim.\" The reason? It's all because of Ronald Reagan, alleged reductions in federal programs and racism. Jacob's solution? Vote Democrat and get that federal cash flowing again. Jacob is right to be concerned with the enormous gap between black and white unemployment rates. The gap has been growing steadily since the 1950s, despite the dramatic increase in federal aid to blacks during that period. Among teenagers, the black and white unemployment rates were virtually the same in the 1950s. It was during the glory days of Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society that the gap really began to widen. Little has happened to the trend since then, though the overall black unemployment rate has fallen 2 percentage points since 1986.

• Publisher: Tribune Publishing Company, LLC